Euro 2016: FA reassure England fans they will get tickets in time for games

Some England fans have yet to receive their Euro 2016 tickets due to a ‘despatching issue’ at the Football Association, which expects the situation to be resolved within 48 hours.

Press Association Sport understands around 500 tickets – or two per cent of the overall number bought direct through the FA – have yet to be received, some of which had been held at sorting offices due to an issue with the amount of paid postage.

The FA has been contacted by worried buyers ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture against Russia in Marseille and expects all deliveries to be completed by tomorrow. (June 8)

Should fans have already made the journey to France, there will be a collection option at the Stade Velodrome.

An FA spokesperson said: “Following a despatching issue, a small number of match tickets are yet to reach England Supporters Travel Club members.

“We’d like to reassure supporters that this matter has been addressed and those yet to receive their tickets should expect to do so in the next 48 hours.”

Peter McCusker, 56, from County Durham, was one of those affected and described the situation as “a bit of a shambles”.

He said: “We haven’t had any communication about it, we’ve been chasing them up. When I spoke to them last week they said we’d have them in 48 hours and they never arrived.

“We have finalised our travel arrangements already, so we’re well and truly frustrated.

“The communication has been very poor – virtually non-existent if I’m honest. If I’d known the tickets were in a sorting office near me I’d have gone to collect them myself.

“I had to join the travel club to get a ticket, which I was happy to do, but it’s just been a bit of a shambles.

“I hope they’re better on the pitch than they are off it.

“We also booked tickets for another match, not involving England, through UEFA and had no problems at all.”

Russia midfielder Igor Denisov appears certain to miss the tournament due to injury.